GB855866A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for handling wafers and biscuits - Google Patents

Abstract

855,866. Wafer sandwich making machines. BARRACLOUGH Ltd., R. W., and BARRACLOUGH, R. W. Oct 17, 1957 [July 18,1956], No. 22192/56. Class 28(1) Sandwich biscuits are made by advancing coated wafer sheets to a stacking device and, after a predetermined number of sheets have been stacked, advancing the stack to a position where an uncoated top wafer sheet is applied to the stack, pressure means being thereupon effective to consolidate the sheets. The apparatus is driven from an electric motor through gearing, a main shaft which drives the various conveyers and a timing shaft which co-ordinates the operation of the apparatus by controlling one-revolution clutches. Pre-coated wafer sheets in a continuous strip are take-up from a platform 10 by a continuously operated belt conveyer 11 from which they are lifted individually to separate them by means of plates 12, 13. Plates 12 are pivotally secured to two parallel arms 14 mounted on shafts 15 continuously rotated from the main shaft in a counter-clockwise direction so as to give the plates 12 a circular motion. Plates 13 are each pivoted to a member 16 connected by links 17 to a fixed portion 18 of the machine and also linked to a bell crank lever 19 whose other end has a roller 20 running in the cam track 21 on the wheel 22 so as to give plates 13 a vertical motion. Wheel 22 is mounted on a shaft 23 which rotates synchronously with shafts 15 and so that plates 12 and 13 reach their highest point at the same time. The plates 12 and 13 move each wafer sheet on to a platform 29 where it is engaged by an advancing finger 25 carried on one of a series of equidistant bars 30 mounted between endless chains 26 supported on sprocket wheels 27, 28. The wafer sheet is next taken over by advancing pins 41, 42, moving slightly faster than pins 25 and carried on chains 31, 32 mounted on sprocket wheels, which deposit the. sheets on the stacking device. This device consists of two supports 43 carried by members 44 formed integral with levers 45 mounted on spindles 46 extending between the two sides of a framework 47. Levers 45 are connected by a link 48 coupled to bell crank lever 49 of which one arm carries a roller engaging a cam track 50 formed in a wheel 51. Wheel 51 is mounted on a spindle 52 driven through gears from the main shaft. The supports 43 are operated to move outwardly and let the wafer sheet 24 drop into a tray 57, Fig. 1. When a predetermined number of wafer sheets have dropped into the tray 57, they are carried along a platform 72 by pins 71 carried on a further conveyer, comprising endless chains 65, 66 mounted on sprocket wheels, to a position where they receive the top uncoated wafer. Further advancing means are provided to prevent the rear edge of the stack from being damaged as pins 71 move downwardly. These advancing means consist of a plate 73 normally below the level of platform 72 along which the stack of wafer sheets is moved which, as a pin 71 approaches the left-hand position, Fig. 4, is lifted above the level of platform 73 through the operation of a cam 86 after which lever 76, through the operation of a cam 87 advances plate 73 to the left bringing the stack to position 91, Fig. 6. The base 98 of a container 92 is mounted on a shaft 99 controlled to give it vertical and limited rotational movement and normally rests one wafer sheet thickness below the bottom of container 92 and supporting a stack of uncoated wafer sheets therein. The lowermost wafer sheet rests in an aperture 100 in a plate 101 whch rotates with base 98 and is removed by rotating plate 101 and base 98 leaving the stack resting on plate 101. Pins 95, carried on a conveyer running at an angle to container 92, then carry the sheet to supports 93, base 98 and plate 101 returning to their original positions. Supports 93 are carried by members 117 mounted on spindles 118 which also carry lugs 119 pivoted to links 120 pivoted at their other ends to a spindle 121 carrying a pressure plate 122. When sleeve 123 carrying spindle 121 is moved downwards spindle 118 is rotated which moves supports 93 and allows the wafer sheet to drop on to the stack which is then engaged by plate 122 to press it down after which the sleeve 123 is lifted again. The finished stack is removed from the apparatus by pins carried on a further conveyer.